Author: printhousehk

Corona Sunset Festival- Beers, sand and printing? Say no more.

The Corona Sunset Event was one we had been looking forward to for a while. Sun, sand, Coronas and printing- just has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Well the event definitely didn’t disappoint. It was an awesome set up on the Central harbour front that brought the beach to its doorstep. The attention to detail was amazing, and they managed to capture feel of a ‘beer and beach lifestyle’ festival to a T.

This kind of ‘al fresco’ set up is one we have enjoyed and have had success working with in the past- simple and authentic with a laid back spin to it.

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We were commissioned with 200 pre-printed t-shirts and 50 for on-site live printing. It was a good order for us, but one that posed a bit of a hurdle that we thought worth reflecting on.

For most events, we are brought in for live printing and following our philosophy of inclusion and customer interaction, it’s all about getting them involved and hopefully printing their own t-shirts whenever possible. While this has been a hit with customers in the past, it created a lopsided sale trend with the pre-printed tees being overshadowed by the idea of customising and printing your own.

It was a tough spot to be in. Without shutting down the live printing, it became increasingly hard to drive people toward the pre-printed selection, even with quite a significant price difference between the two, especially after the hype of live printing had picked up.

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We were fortunate however, in that we were commissioned to print each of the different pre-ordered t-shirts with a distinctive colour blend, resulting in 200 still unique pieces, in a range of different sizes – giving us a valuable selling point and much needed leg to stand on.

With a switch in display emphasis, a re-evaluated price difference and a tweaked ‘door in the face’ sales technique (offering the more expensive option before highlighting and driving attention to the cheaper one), we found we were able to boost the sales of the pre-printed pieces- you’ll be surprised the effect the word ‘only’ has on a customer’s decisions making process when cost is a central factor e.g. to print your own is $150, but over here, the pre-printed selection is only $80.

It was an unusual feeling to divert attention from the very craft and service that has brought us so much success and earned our reputation at other events in the past. Ultimately though, it provided a valuable development experience that took us out of our live printing comfort zone and highlighted the need to balance, and compliment both our service, as well as our products at future events.

Going forward, we definitely agreed it would be prudent to separate the two items, display and then market them accordingly. Keeping the pre-printed shirts exhibited and sold as merchandise, and leaving the live printing to its own boutique booth will support their individual qualities without compromising and overwhelming each other’s sales.

Overall, it was an amazing festival- the atmosphere and energy from everyone involved was really in line with events that we thrive at and are passionate about. We look forward to another great time next year- so keep an eye out for the Corona Sunset Festival!

PH

Stanley Beach Clean Up- how it all started

What makes our initiative different?

It’s the question that was at the heart of this community project, it’s the driving force behind why it gathers so much support and it’s the reason it continues to be so successful. Quite simply, ours is different because we choose it to be.

We choose it to be a celebration of community spirit, we choose it to give back and value the volunteers as much as we value the message we’re spreading, and most importantly, we choose its positivity to be the thing that brings us closer as a community.

We started this group at a time when public outrage was peaking and the Hong Kong people were united by anger and frustration with the government’s excuses and lack of action. While we definitely shared the sentiment, we wanted to find a way to unite people through positivity and a strong community spirit that harnessed a can-do attitude instead of backing a finger of blame.

From here, Stanley Beach Clean up was born.

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The last event was truly a show of community spirit that demonstrated exactly what, as a collective and impassioned group, we can achieve. It was a huge success, and the results speak for themselves- we had over 200 volunteers show up to help, collected over 400 bags of waste and had a range of different products sponsored by various companies to show their support.

More telling than a few statistics however, was the overwhelmingly positive atmosphere that each and every volunteer helped carry throughout the day. Walking around during the wind down session, there was no slandering the government or targeting their inaction. Instead, there were smiles all round, encouraging words and a community brought together through harnessing a positive and proactive attitude.

We saw it as making the day as much about valuing the volunteers and their time, as it was about spreading the message of eco-awareness that we were supporting and hoping they’d take to heart- as a friend of ours put it “you can’t expect the message you’re spreading to hold any lasting impact if the people you are trying to reach don’t feel valued”.

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Knowing that our community drive isn’t a substitute for a long-term solution to Hong Kong’s waste problem, we celebrate instead the fact that we have helped changed peoples perspective on these events and presented an alternative to the traditional and mundane beach clean up formula.

That in itself, we felt, was a huge success before even a single bag was picked up.

Wanting to take it a step further, a third event has been organised for this Sunday the 25th of September, with a focus on conservation efforts that can be observed in everyday life, with guest speakers from the ‘Last Straw Movement’ and ‘Lush’ introducing their eco-friendly products and explaining how they work.

We’re expecting another big turn out with the same positive atmosphere that made the last clean ups so successful.

So grab a friend and get down here for Sunday- you’re always welcome in the growing community of Stanley Beach Clean Up!

We hope to see you all there.

PH

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